I've Been Human All My Life. Do I Still Get a Choice?

The night is dark, the wind rustles, and the branches sway like a woman's hair.

Beneath the tree, all is dim, with sparks from the fire gleaming like eyes in the starry sky.

After a crow calls in the distance, Xia Xuan's eyelid twitches. He reaches out and picks up a chicken heart from the campfire, then sniffs it. The burnt smell dispels most of his drowsiness.

“They say you are what you eat, but does this stuff really work?”

Xia Xuan sounds unconvinced, but takes a bite anyway.

“Mmm, crispy. Though if I don't have a heart, where exactly is this supposed to go?”

Xia Xuan looks down. His chest is hollow, with no flesh or blood.